landable/cost of living comparison
vs

01 · the cities

San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo (SLO to locals) sits halfway between LA and San Francisco on the central coast, with Cal Poly students, gorgeous wine country (Edna Valley and Paso Robles nearby), and a Thursday night farmers market that takes over downtown. It's been called the happiest city in America (multiple studies, Oprah included), and the vibe really does back that up. Bubblegum Alley is exactly what it sounds like. Mellow and beautiful.

full dispatch

Lansing

Lansing is the Michigan state capital, Michigan State (East Lansing is essentially a continuation), and old auto industry roots that have softened into a quieter mid-sized city. The Grand River curves through downtown. The Capitol building is one of the prettier state capitols you'll see. Cheap, friendly, and a quick drive to Lake Michigan beaches.

full dispatch

02 · the money

Median rent

$3,095/mo

$1,259/mo

$1,836/mo less than San Luis Obispo (146%)

Median home price

$934k

$244k

$691k less than San Luis Obispo

State income tax

9.3%

4.3%

Gross left after rent

$4,463/mo

$6,720/mo

Lansing has $2,257/mo more gross after rent at $100k

Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.

03 · the weather

Pleasant days/yr

303 days

153 days

150 fewer than San Luis Obispo

Extreme heat days

14 days

0 days

days above 95°F per year

Extreme cold days

0 days

52 days

days below 20°F per year

San Luis Obispo has 14 more days above 95°F each year than Lansing. Lansing drops below 20°F on 52 more days per year than San Luis Obispo.

04 · the life

OutdoorScore

68 / 100

57 / 100

11.0 pts behind San Luis Obispo

Walk Score®

98 / 100

80 / 100

18 pts behind San Luis Obispo

Nonstop flights

3 routes

6 routes

3 more direct routes than San Luis Obispo

Metro size

282k metro

473k metro

San Luis Obispo has 1.8x fewer events per month than Lansing.

the verdict

3

San Luis Obispo

categories won

of 9

6

Lansing

categories won

Lansing wins on money. San Luis Obispo has the edge on weather.

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We use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.

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